Rural fire rates drop for some in Rolla district

The Rolla Rural Fire Protection District (RRFPD) recently received word from the Insurance Services Office (ISO) of homeowner and business rate decreases within the Fire District.

The RRFPD went through testing and review of its facilities, training and equipment in the last year by ISO. ISO also looked at water supplies, firefighters and their training, upkeep and testing of fire fighting apparatus and equipment, and dispatch centers.

RRFPD’s Public Protection Classification was a 10 if over 5 road miles from a RRFPD fire station and with most companies an 8 if within 5 road miles of a RRFPD station. Stations are located at 1575 East Lions Club Drive in Rolla, 10830 Private Drive 2074 off of Highway V to the northeast of Rolla, and 18953 South Highway 63, south of Rolla.

Now, if you are located within 1,000 feet of a hydrant and within 5 road miles of a RRFPD station you are a Class 4. If you are within 5 road miles of a RRFPD station, but NOT within 1000 feet of a hydrant, you are a Class 6. It will still be a Class 9 or 10 if further than 5 road miles from a Rolla Rural Fire Protection District station.

"From what we are told, this will be a savings of 6 to 7% per Class Number decrease in the cost of your homeowner or business insurance policy," said William R. Mason, chairman of the fire district board. "Thus, if your Homeowner’s Policy was $1,000 a year last year, this year it should be about $880 or less depending on the company, if you went from a Class 8 to a Class 6. It could be about $760 if you go to a Class 4. The savings on the Homeowner’s Policy should be more than the tax you pay for fire protection. A few insurance companies had already put our taxpayers in a lower class as they rate due to zip codes not fire districts."

These rating decreases have come about since the Fire Department went from a dues paying Association to a Tax District. The changes can be directly seen due to hundreds of hours of training, record keeping, continual upkeep and testing of the fire equipment, from the dedicated time and efforts of the volunteer men and women of the Rolla Rural Fire Protection District. The RRFPD is manned each weekend by the volunteers to reduce dispatch times. The eventual goal of the RRFPD is to have paid full time fire personnel manning the station 24-7 for immediate response to emergencies in the tax district.